Please or to access all these features

Add post

Watch this thread

Save thread

Start a new thread

Flip thread

Hide thread

My feed

Active Unanswered threads

Getting started FAQ's

Unanswered threads Acronyms Talk guidelines

Hide shortcut buttons

Talk

Pregnancy

Talk about every stage of pregnancy, from early symptoms to preparing for birth.

Flip

1 2

Original poster

Does everyone get tested for gestational diabetes??

26 replies

bananamuffin99 · 21/06/2020 08:42

Hi, I'm just curious about this as my DH friends were just chatting about baby and pregnancy related stuff with me, and they mentioned the glucose tolerance test which I believe is fasted . My 28 week app is a while away yet but when I was booked in for it no mention was made of being tested for GD and it wasn't mentioned in the letter either.

My DH is of South Asian heritage and so are his friends, none of them had bmi over 30. I had a look on the NHS website and it seems that I don't meet any of the criteria. So does this mean I won't be tested? I am Caucasian, had underweight bmi at start of pregnancy, first baby, no family history etc. Just wondering if other similar women to me also didn't get told about the GD test?

I do plan on emailing or calling midwife to double check 😊

OP posts:

Are your children’s vaccines up to date?

Set a reminder

EllieJai44 · 21/06/2020 08:46

When you had your booking appointment at the beginning of your pregnancy, did your midwife say to you then that you'd have it? They only give it to people who meet the criteria, being overweight or having family history of diabetes gives you an increased risk, hence why they test- if you don't meet the criteria then you won't have it

LBB2020 · 21/06/2020 08:48

The GTT is usually carried out at around 28 weeks and as far as I’m aware, you’re only tested if you fall into a higher risk category.

clemmie83 · 21/06/2020 08:48

I was told it's only if you have risk factors, I don't so I haven't been offered it.

WhatWouldPennyDo · 21/06/2020 08:49

Tests for those in higher risk categories or where they have reason to suspect it, I believe.

userabcname · 21/06/2020 08:50

No you don't. I didn't have it in my first pregnancy but did in my second as I was consultant-led and she said although I didn't have an increased risk, my first baby was quite big so it was worth doing. You may be offered it if you get sugar in your wee at any point or if you measure bigger for your dates.

MojoJojo71 · 21/06/2020 08:50

Generally only women at increased risk of developing gestational diabetes are routinely tested. Certainly in the trust I work in you wouldn’t meet the criteria for testing, we would only test you if you had recurrent glucose found in your urine or if you developed polyhydramnios (too much amniotic fluid). At the moment In order to reduce the time women spend in the hospital during coronavirus we are using a different testing method which does not require fasting too so even if your midwife did want to test, you wouldn’t need to fast

Raaaa · 21/06/2020 08:50

Didn't have it with either pregnancy, from what i understand unless it's in the family eg parents or you've got a high Bmi I don't think you have it done as the risk is low

EverythingBlue2020 · 21/06/2020 08:53

I had it done because I was over 35, but had no other risk factors. It was mid lockdown so only had the blood test though not the usual GTT test.

Fatted · 21/06/2020 08:54

I'm fat so I had it with both pregnancies.

You won't have been told about it because you don't fit the criteria at the moment. If you go onto have anything like glucose in your urine sample or if baby is measuring big, then you may need to have one. I had to have one every two weeks from 28 weeks onwards with my youngest because each test I did was borderline negative and my baby was measuring big.

Topseyt · 21/06/2020 08:59

I wasn't tested in two out of my three pregnancies.

It was only when I was expecting DD3, and in the late stages of the pregnancy, that I began showing signs of it (big plus of glucose in urine sample, and then a fairly high reading from a finger prick blood test). So a full test was booked, but my DD decided to arrive (at 35 weeks) before we got as far as doing it.

I believe that unless you meet the criteria or your routine antenatal checks reveal any reason to suspect it, then you probably won't have the full test.

Connie222 · 21/06/2020 08:59

I’m my second pregnancy the hospital were trailing a scheme where it was offered to all women.

Third pregnancy now and I’m fat so I had it.

Superscientist · 21/06/2020 09:05

You will get tested if you fell into one of the at risk categories, if your baby looks to be growing more than expected or if you start to get glucose in your urine when dipped at appointments or if your bloods show an issue.

The medication I take puts me at small increased risk of diabetes and gestational diabetes but otherwise I fall firmly in the low risk category. I asked my obstetrician about whether I needed a test and they said only if my bloods or urine would indicate it is necessary. You should get a repeat of your booking blood tests done at your 28 week check. They usually only monitor my diabetes risk with annual blood tests.

Prettylittlelady · 21/06/2020 09:22

This is my first pregnancy and I am having the test because my ethnic group puts me in the slightly higher risk category - I am mixed race and have one parent if carribbean background and one of Caucasian, she said it’s best just to have the test. I have no other risk factors.

Jjajus · 21/06/2020 09:43

I think it’s only if you fall into the risk category, or unless something makes the midwife suspect it if you’re not otherwise seen as at risk.

I wasn’t in any risk categories, so wasn’t going to have the test. Then at my 28 week appt my bump was measuring above 97th centile so I was tested as a precaution :)

BalancingStick · 21/06/2020 10:02

My hospital tested everyone so I had it with both babies but no risk factors either time.

WreckTangled · 21/06/2020 10:04

Where I live they started introducing it to everyone about four years ago after some people got missed. I don't know if that's still the case but as with everything it probably differs depending on what area you live in.

BertieBotts · 21/06/2020 10:04

Other countries routinely test everyone. I was tested in Germany, but not in the UK.

NameChange30 · 21/06/2020 10:13

It's slightly different atm due to Covid-19. And I think different NHS trusts are doing slightly different things.

My hospital is not doing the OGTT in the hospital any more, they are doing a trial where they send us home with a continuous glucose monitor (and the glucose drink to do the fast and test at home). However, that's only for women with a risk factor for gestational diabetes, I don't think it's offered to everyone.

At 28 weeks you have routine blood tests anyway (full blood count, blood type, antibodies) and when I had my tests they also did glucose levels and HBA1C. I'm not sure whether they do that for everyone but it would make sense since it's very easy, they just take some extra blood when doing the other tests.

Itsnotahotel · 21/06/2020 10:14

I had to decline due to HG but was offered it each pregnancy

fallfallfall · 21/06/2020 10:17

Absolutely everyone is tested in Canada. It’s a placental issue not weight or diet related. Everyone here is also tested for Step B.

Pinkblueberry · 21/06/2020 10:20

They usually check your urine for glucose levels, if it’s high you would get tested - I got tested after scoffing a few too many chocolate eggs after Easter didn’t have GD. Otherwise I don’t think it’s something they would offer unless you’re in an ‘at risk’ category.

TreestumpsAndTrampolines · 21/06/2020 10:24

Absolutely everyone is tested in Canada. It’s a placental issue not weight or diet related. Everyone here is also tested for Step B.

I was offered but decided not to, and they didn't pressure me at all. In the UK I did (and boy did I feel sick - perfect result, no GD though). Did have the strep B stuff though in Canada, and not a whiff of it in the UK.

In the UK it was separate to midwife appointments - they had a special clinic full of a conveyor belt of women going in one after another for the drink, then sitting in the waiting room for however long before the blood test. I nearly fainted, so got to go and sit in a special, lovely chair by the aircon :)

BessMarvin · 21/06/2020 10:26

My baby is 8mo and I only got tested for it because my bump kept measuring huge, and it turned out I did have it. Not much I could do by then as I was 36 weeks.

And I was 40 so unlike a pp, wasn't automatically tested due to being over 35.

Pinktruffle · 21/06/2020 12:49

I was told during my telephone booking in appointment that I would be tested during to my ethnicity and having PCOS. Both put me at higher risk. They did a blood test at my 12 week scan and are likely to do another blood test at 28 weeks. My Trust aren't currently doing the fasting glucose test due to Covid and have switched to blood tests

Umberta · 21/06/2020 15:14

I'm at kings and they do this glucose test at 28 weeks that isn't a fasting one. You have to eat specific food beforehand. They offer it to everyone, I have none of the risk factors particularly. (But I hate blood tests and ended up sicking up all my delicious regulation balanced breakfast of rice and fish and veg.. what a waste!)

Flip

1 2